Abdominal Wall Defects - Related problems - Fetal diagnosis & treatment - Chop - 4 of 11

>> GASTROSCHISIS IS MUCH MORE COMMON IN YOUNG MOTHERS. SO IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR MOTHERS TO BE LESS THAN 20 YEARS OF AGE CARRYING A FETUS WITH A GASTROSCHISIS. >> THERE IS NO KNOWN CAUSE FOR GASTROSCHISIS AND IT TENDS TO BE AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. >> MEANING THAT THEY ARE MORE OFTEN THAN NOT NO OTHER BIRTH DEFECTS THAT ARE PRESENT IN THAT PARTICULAR FETUS. AS OPPOSED TO AN OMPHALOCELE WHERE THERE IS AN INCREASED RISK OF OTHER FETAL ABNORMALITIES. >> SUCH AS CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM PROBLEMS, CARDIAC PROBLEMS, GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS, EVEN PROBLEMS SUCH AS DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA, GENITAL URINARY PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS WITH THE KIDNEYS. >> WE WENT ESSENTIALLY THROUGH A CHECKLIST OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COULD BE WRONG WITH HIM ASIDE FROM THIS CONGENITAL DEFECT. >> PARADOXICALLY, IT IS THE SMALLER OMPHALOCELES, THE ONES THAT MIGHT HAVE JUST BOWEL INVOLVEMENT THAT ARE ACTUALLY AT INCREASED RISK TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH CHROMOSOMAL ABNORMALITIES OR POTENTIALLY GENETIC SYNDROME SUCH AS BECKWITH-WIEDEMANN SYNDROME OR OTHER CONDITIONS THAT MIGHT BE PRESENT MIGHT INCLUDE PENTALOGY OF CANTRELL. >> PROGNOSIS, OUTCOMES--THINGS OF THAT SORT ARE REALLY PEGGED, IN THOSE CASES, NOT SO MUCH TO THE OMPHALOCELE BUT TO THE OTHER ASSOCIATED ABNORMALITIES. >> ONCE FAMILIES ARE EDUCATED ABOUT OUTCOMES AND THE TYPES OF CHILDREN THESE BABIES CAN BE, THEN THEY CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEST FOR THEIR FAMILY.